Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

This Mediterranean Chickpea Salad has fiber-rich chickpeas, crunchy cucumbers, briny feta, and garden-fresh tomatoes, all tossed together with generous amounts of herbs and a balsamic vinaigrette.

This simple bean salad recipe is not only great for potlucks and packed lunches, but it also makes a deliciously simple side dish or a light dinner idea.

If your family is like mine, I am sure they will appreciate this tasty cold bean salad.  

Just like this Italian Salad, or this Strawberry Arugula Salad, it makes the perfect side dish with grilled chicken, shrimp, or fish! 

This easy salad recipe is also great for potlucks and packed lunches.

What makes this Mediterranean salad so awesome? 

One – it comes together super easily! No oven required at all. You just need to collect, cut up, and combine your ingredients, a process that shouldn’t take longer than approximately 15 minutes. Pop it in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors marinate together, and voilà! 

Two – it is versatile! You can swap out pretty much any ingredient in it with whatever you have on hand (keep reading for substitutions and add-in suggestions). 

Three – it is healthy! Chickpeas are really low in cholesterol and saturated fat and are also a good source of dietary fiber and folate. Just watch out for the sodium levels of canned chickpeas – give them a good rinse before adding them to keep sodium levels as low as possible. [source]

Four – leftovers make great lunches! Who doesn’t like the convenience of leftovers? 

So, have I convinced you yet?

Great!

Let’s make it!

Mise en place

There are basically two preparations for this salad -whisking and chopping.

Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 clove of garlic (minced) and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Set aside. 

Alternatively, place these ingredients for the dressing in a Mason jar, cover and shake.

Prep the herbs and the cucumber:  Chop about 2 tablespoons of fresh basil, 2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, 2 tablespoons of fresh chives, and 2 teaspoons of fresh oregano. You also need approximately 2 cups of chopped cucumber. 

Prep the chickpeas: Drain and rinse. Place in a large mixing bowl.

Instructions

In the large mixing bowl with the chickpeas, add the 2 cups of chopped cucumber, 200 grams of feta (about 1 cup) diced or crumbled, the chopped herbs and the vinaigrette. 

Toss gently together to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to overnight for the flavors to marinate together.

Add 1 chopped large tomato, toss together and serve. 

Substitutions and optional add-ins

• Replace the chickpeas with cannellini, black, red kidney, or even mixed beans.  
• A handful of Mediterranean olives, artichokes or capers is a great flavor booster.
• Adding avocado is one way to increase your daily intake of fiber. [source]
• Add canned tuna or hard-boiled eggs to make it a more complete meal.
• Balsamic vinegar can be replaced with red wine vinegar. 
• The addition of roasted bell peppers provides a hint of sweetness. Or if you prefer the crunch, leave them raw.
• If you can’t find English cucumbers, replace it with a regular cucumber. As an option, remove the skin and the seeds as they tend to be slightly more bitter.
• If you like the pungency of onions, feel free to add a small handful of finely chopped shallots or spring onions.
• Feel free to switch out the fresh herbs to whatever you might have on hand. 
• Replace the Feta for goat cheese or perhaps Parmesan shavings.
• Add roasted nuts or seeds, or perhaps even some sprouts!

As you can see, the sky’s the limit for this easy summer meal. 

Tips

• If possible, purchase a block of feta packed in brine rather than already crumbled.
• Taste and adjust for flavors. 
• It can be made ahead up to 24 hours. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
• Add the tomatoes just prior to serving. This prevents them from becoming mealy. 
• Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days. 

If you like healthy salad recipes, you must try this Pear Arugula Salad with toasted walnuts or this Sweet Corn Salad. Your family and friends are going to love them. 

Recipe origins

Back to my East End Montreal upbringing for this recipe! This Italian chickpea salad was one of my favorite summer dinner recipes. 

I can still see my paternal grandmother preparing this salad. She would remove the skin from each. individual. chickpea. Talk about dedication. 

Of course, this step is entirely unnecessary, but my nonna insisted that if she left the skin, it would get caught in her teeth. A slight exaggeration, but I loved her dearly.

My nonna would tell us that chickpeas were healthy for us. 

As is usually the case with Italian nonnas, she was right. 

It is great food for your heart, and its delicious-ness levels make it great for your soul, too 😉

Enjoy!

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you have made this Mediterranean salad, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

This Mediterranean Chickpea Salad has fiber-rich chickpeas, crunchy cucumbers, briny feta, and garden-fresh tomatoes, all tossed together with generous amounts of herbs and a balsamic vinaigrette.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 145kcal

Author: Maria Vannelli RD

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 1 clove garlic pressed or finely minced
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons basil fresh, chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley Italian flat-leaf, fresh, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chives fresh, chopped
• 2 teaspoons oregano fresh, chopped
• 2 cups English cucumber chopped (about 1/2)
• 1 cup feta cheese crumbled or cubed
• 1 18 ounce/796 mL can chickpeas drained and rinsed
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1 large tomato chopped

Instructions

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and pepper. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients except for the tomatoes.
• Add the vinaigrette and toss gently to combine.
• Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to overnight for the flavors to marinate.
• Add 1 chopped large tomato, toss together and serve. 

Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

Notes

• If possible, purchase a block of feta packed in brine rather than already crumbled.
• Taste and adjust for flavors. 
• It can be made ahead up to 24 hours. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
• Add the tomatoes just prior to serving. This prevents them from becoming mealy. 
• Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days. 

Substitutions and optional add-ins

• Replace the chickpeas with cannellini, black, red kidney, or even mixed beans.  
• A handful of Mediterranean olives, artichokes or capers is a great flavor booster.
• Adding avocado is one way to increase your daily intake of fiber. [source]
• Add canned tuna or hard-boiled eggs to make it a more complete meal.
• Balsamic vinegar can be replaced with red wine vinegar. 
• The addition of roasted bell peppers provides a hint of sweetness. Or if you prefer the crunch, leave them raw.
• If you can't find English cucumbers, replace it with a regular cucumber. As an option, remove the skin and the seeds as they tend to be slightly more bitter.
• If you like the pungency of onions, feel free to add a small handful of finely chopped shallots or spring onions.
• Feel free to switch out the fresh herbs to whatever you might have on hand. 
• Replace the Feta for goat cheese or perhaps Parmesan shavings.
• Add roasted nuts or seeds, or perhaps even some sprouts!

 

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 283mg | Potassium: 136mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 515IU | Vitamin C: 7.3mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 0.7mg

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This post was originally published on May 29, 2016, and republished on May 19, 2020, with updated content and photos. Thanks for sharing.